What's Your Story?

Review: Shadows by Jennifer L. Armentrout

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley @ Whats Your Story?) — Mon, 21 May 2012 02:42:00 +0000

Shadows by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Pages: 179
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Genre: YA Sci-Fi Romance
#0.5 in Series
GOODREADS
The last thing Dawson Black expected was Bethany Williams. As a Luxen, an alien life form on Earth, human girls are…well, fun. But since the Luxen have to keep their true identities a secret, falling for one would be insane.

Dangerous. Tempting. Undeniable.

Bethany can’t deny the immediate connection between her and Dawson. And even though boys aren’t a complication she wants, she can’t stay away from him. Still, whenever they lock eyes, she’s drawn in.

Captivated. Lured. Loved.

Dawson is keeping a secret that will change her existence...and put her life in jeopardy. But even he can’t stop risking everything for one human girl. Or from a fate that is as unavoidable as love itself.

Quick Thoughts

That is all.

Review

I. Can't. Even. Deal. I can't. I have lost all ability to can that I ever possessed. It's fucking gone because this book is so.... GAAAAHH.

Let me just start with the best part of Shadows. And what is it? Why, none other than Dee and Daemon's other twin, DAWSON.

Ladies, did you think the sexiness stopped with Daemon? Well, I am here to set you straight. While Daemon is the physical embodiment of pure sex and the collective wet dream of every woman on earth, Dawson is the exact opposite. But, I mean that in the best, most attractive and utterly hot way possible. You see, Daemon may be the one that will make your hoo-haa go YEEHAW! with just a smoldering look, but Dawson is the one that can melt you down into a puddle of swooning, girlish delight with nothing more than a charming, genuine smile directed your way. The two of them embody the two types of guys that women love most. Daemon is the bad boy, right down to his ultra-fine core, and Dawson is the nice guy--the Prince Charming that every girl wishes she could marry at some point in her life. Polar opposites, but oh so fucking sexy in their own ways.

In Obsidian, we never got to know much about Dawson. We only knew that Dee and Daemon had another brother that died. Shadows goes back in time, showing us this brother. It's told in the perspectives of Dawson, and a human girl named Bethany (and there is one chapter in Daemon's perspective, too). In fact, Dawson and Bethany's story is quite similar to Katy and Daemon's story, in that Bethany is the new girl in town. She moved there so her mom could take care of her sick uncle. When Bethany walks into class on the first day, she sees two of the most gorgeous men she's ever come across (and who on earth could I be talking about, I wonder?). It's one of those moments of instant attraction between both Bethany and Dawson. It affected her so much that she could even tell the difference between Dawson and Daemon, even though they're completely identical!

I loved Dawson. Plain and fucking simple, I loved him. Which is why it really wasn't difficult to believe when Bethany fell for him pretty quickly, because I know for a fact that if I had been in her situation (PLEASE, IF THERE IS A HIGHER BEING OUT THERE, PLEASE PUT ME IN BETHANY'S--OR EVEN KATY'S--SITUATION! *hyperventilates* *crawls in corner and sobs over my completely normal existence*) I would've done the same thing. Dawson was sweet, and so protective of Bethany. And he's quite the charmer! But I loved reading the scenes in his perspective, because it let's us get behind that cool and suave--and sexy!--exterior and we see that Dawson is just as nervous as Bethany is! He wants her to like him so much, it makes him do some really crazy, and even dangerous things.

I liked Bethany too, but I'm going to be honest with you. I really didn't notice her much, since I was too busy inserting myself into her shoes. HA! I just imagined that it was my name Dawson was saying, and pictured myself in his arms instead of her. Kinda mean, but, let's be honest. Who wouldn't? This in no way reflects on her as a character, because when I stepped out of my personal fantasies, she was pretty awesome.

I also really loved that we got to see more of Daemon and Dee, and the other Luxen too, from an internal standpoint. We got to see them as they function 'normally', meaning totally at ease around family and not holding anything back. You get to see just how fiercely Daemon loves both Dee and Dawson, and how he'd to anything to protect them. I really loved that side of him, which is something that we don't get to see much when he's trying to charm the pants of Katy all the time.

And now... for the hardest part of this review. The ending of the book.

Wow, that ending was like a sucker punch right in the dingleberries (you know, if I were a dude, of course.) I actually started crying a bit, it was so freaking emotional. And the worst part is that you know what's going to happen, it's totally inevitable, because they're obviously not alive in Obsidian. But I just kept hoping beyond hope that they would somehow overcome it, and they would make it out alive. WHY, JENNIFER, WHY? DO YOU ENJOY MY PAIN? DO YOU?

Who Should Read This Book?

EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT HAS EVER LIVED IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD.

Memorable Quotes

Dee’s hand fluttered around her as she spoke. “I was outside, and it looked as if a light show was going on in your bedroom. Daemon said you were probably mas—”
And Dee also knew no boundaries.
“Ah, no, please don’t finish that sentence.” He lowered his hands, eyes narrowing at his sister. “Don’t ever finish that sentence.”

* * *

“What?" he demanded.
"Did you just…clean a dish?" Dee backed away slowly, blinking. She glanced at Daemon. "The world is going to end. And I’m still a vir—"

"No!" both the brothers yelled in unison.

Daemon looked like he was actually going to vomit. "Jesus, don’t ever finish that statement. Actually, don’t ever change that. Thank you."

Her mouth dropped open. "You expect me to never have—”

"This isn’t a conversation I want to start my morning with." Dawson grabbed his book bag off the kitchen table. "I’m so leaving for school before this gets more detailed."

"And why aren’t you dressed yet?” Dee demanded, her full attention concentrated on Daemon. "You’re going to be late."

"I’m always late."

"Punctuality makes perfect.”

Read it for yourself!

Buy the Book

Amazon

Kindle: $2.99

Paperback: $10.39

Barnes and Noble

Nook: $2.99

The Book Depository (Free shipping worldwide!)

Paperback: $9.74

About the Author
Website • Twitter • Facebook
Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you've heard about her state aren't true. When she's not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russel Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories....which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She also writes adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is the author of the COVENANT Series (Spencer Hill Press), the LUX Series (Entangled Publishing), and the upcoming YA contemporary mystery/thrillers DON'T LOOK BACK (Disney/Hyperion Fall 2013) and yet untitled book (Disney/Hyperion tentative Fall 2014).

Other Books by This Author

(covers link to Amazon)

BOOKSHELF CLEANOUT! Tons of books for Sale!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley @ Whats Your Story?) — Sun, 20 May 2012 02:43:00 +0000

I cleaned out my bookshelves extensively, keeping everything that I really loved. The end result is a ton of books that I don't have any room for, so I'm putting them up for sale! I hope they'll go to a loving home! :D

I'm shipping to US only! All packages will be sent media mail.

Total price= Cost of book + cost of shipping

Shipping will be determined based on weight of the book and the media mail rates. (They're really cheap, usually only a couple of dollars.)

If you'd like to order a lot of books, we can definitely work out a different pricing! Just email me!

To order books:
Email me with subject 'Book purchase' and tell me which books you'd like.
whatsyourstorybookreviews@gmail.com

Book	Condition	Price (without the cost of media mail shipping)
Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith	Hardcover; New	$6.00
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson	Hardcover; new	$7.00
The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder *SIGNED*	Paperback; Brand new	$5.00
Witch & Wizard by James Patterson	Hardcover; New	$7.00
Persistence of Memory by Amelia Atwater- Rhodes	Hardcover; Brand new	$5.00
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan	Hardcover; Brand new	$6.00
Black Rabbit Summer by Kevin Brooks	Hardcover; new	$7.00
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan	Paperback; Fair	$4.00
The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan	Paperback; Good	$4.00
The Titan's Curse	Paperback; Fair	$4.00
The Devouring by Simon Holt	Hardcover; New	$6.00
Soulstice (Devouring #2) by Simon Holt	Hardcover; Pretty new	$6.00
The Goblin Wood by Hilari Bell	Hardcover; Brand new	$7.00
Eragon by Christopher Paolini	Paperback; Worn	$4.00
The Vampire's Assistant and other stories by Darren Shan (omnibus-3 books in 1)	Paperback; New	$7.00
Goose Girl by Shannon Hale	Paperback; New	$6.00
Altered by Aubrey Coletti	Paperback; Worn	$4.00
Crossroads by Mary Ting *SIGNED*	Paperback; Slightly worn	$5.00
Initiation by Imogen Rose	Paperback; Slightly Worn	$5.00
Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman	Paperback; Pretty new	$4.50
Everlost by Neal Shusterman	Paperback; Brand new	$4.00
In the Forests of the Night by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes	Paperback; Pretty new	$3.00
Demon In My View by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes	Paperback; Pretty new	$3.00
Shattered Mirror by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes	Paperback; Pretty new	$3.00
Midnight Predator by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes	Paperback; Pretty new	$3.00
Emotionally Charged by Selina Fenech	Paperback; New	$3.00
Revealing Eden by Victoria Foyt *SIGNED* (It's personalized to me, but if you don't mind that, or if your name is Ashley, then get it! ;-D)	Hardcover; Brand new	$6.00

{Blog Tour} Review: My Vampire Summer by Elle Casey

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley @ Whats Your Story?) — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:04:00 +0000

My Vampire Summer by Elle Casey
Pages: 195
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: YA Paranormal
#1 in Series
GOODREADS
My Vampire Summer, a novella, the first novella in a series of four ... Reserved bookworm Iona Candella and her best friend, wildchild Cheri Blake, are spending the summer before college in a small medieval town in France. Iona plans to spend the time reading 100 books on her Kindle and Cheri plans to spend it interfering in Iona's book reading/hibernation plan and finding gorgeous French boyfriends to help them pass the time instead. Both of them get more than they bargained for or even imagined. Ancient curses, haunted castle ruins, crypts protected by supernatural serpents. My Vampire Summer is a veritable YA Fantasy banquet, all in a novella-sized package.

Quick Thoughts

Super fun and short novella! Lots of cute romance, and totally interesting vampire mythology.

Review

I really loved My Vampire Summer! Elle Casey is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I have every book that she's published thus far, and I'm in the process of reading them all. Soo good!

This might be a weird reason to have liked My Vampire Summer, but it takes place in France. I'm been learning french for 3 years, and I'm kind of obsessed with the culture, so the fact that it took place in a quaint little french town, filled with really hot french boys, just made it so much funner for me to read! If you're like me, and you have a weird obsession with France, then you'll love MVS just on that alone. It also helps that Elle actually lives in France, so you know what you're reading about is the real deal and not just some Google job.

And Elle's writing style!

No, but really! I can't get enough of it! It's so... teenager. I've never read another author that can so perfectly capture the way teenagers thinks and talk, and even act. It never ceases to amaze me! That's what I think will really capture readers, is the truthfulness of Elle's writing and characters. Iona, while having an interesting name, is still very much a teenage girl, and I love how Elle gets that across. Plus, Cheri was hilarious! HIGH-LARRY-US. I was literally laughing out loud half the time.

There is some romance, although it's mostly concentrated towards the end. However, there will be two more novellas in this series, so I'm really looking forward to seeing where this goes!

Who Should Read This Book?

If you want a great paranormal romance book, read it!

Read it for yourself!

Buy the Book

Amazon

Kindle: $2.99

About the Author
Website • Twitter • Blog
Elle Casey is an American author living in southern France with her husband and three children. She writes in a variety of genre including Young Adult Action/Adventure, Young Adult Fantasy, Adult Thriller, and Adult Contemporary Romance.

Other Books by This Author

(Click on covers to go to Amazon)

$0.99 Kindle Books (5)

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley @ Whats Your Story?) — Fri, 11 May 2012 12:23:00 +0000

Books can get pretty pricey, which is why it's always exciting to find great books that are priced relatively low. And how much lower does it get than 99 cents?? I've come across these fantastic novels all for $0.99, so if you've been looking for something new to read, check out the books below!

YA Boys I Love (3)

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley @ Whats Your Story?) — Thu, 10 May 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Let's just take a moment from life and enjoy a nice, hot, sexy boy from a YA book. Which boy, you may be asking yourself? Why, none other than the incomparable....

PEREGRINE from Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi!

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered. This was worse.

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland - known as The Death Shop - are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild - a savage - and her only hope of staying alive.

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile - everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

Oh, Perry, wonderful Perry. I don't know what I could possibly say about him because he's so amazing.

I think what interested me most about him was that he wasn't one of those guys that automatically goes goo-goo over the heroine. Hell, he even kind of hated Aria in the beginning. And he is very loyal, he'll do absolutely anything to keep those he loves safe. But once you lose his loyalty and trust, that's it.

Perry is a no-nonsense type of guy. But, he does have a fun side that peeks through, especially when he's with his nephew. I loved seeing those little vulnerable moments.

If you haven't read Under the Never Sky yet, you are SO missing out. Perry wants you to read it! :D

If you have read it, what do you think of Perry? Do you love him as much as I do? Do you? DO YOU?

Waiting on Wednesday (15)

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley @ Whats Your Story?) — Wed, 09 May 2012 06:00:00 +0000

My Super Sweet 16th Century by Rachel Harris
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Genre: YA Historical Romance

On the precipice of her sixteenth birthday, the last thing lone wolf Cat Crawford wants is an extravagant gala thrown by her bubbly stepmother and well-meaning father. So even though Cat knows the family’s trip to Florence, Italy, is a peace offering, she embraces the magical city and all it offers. But when her curiosity leads her to an unusual gypsy tent, she exits . . . right into Renaissance Firenze.

Thrust into the sixteenth century armed with only a backpack full of contraband future items, Cat joins up with her ancestors, the sweet Alessandra and protective Cipriano, and soon falls for the gorgeous aspiring artist Lorenzo. But when the much-older Niccolo starts sniffing around, Cat realizes that an unwanted birthday party is nothing compared to an unwanted suitor full of creeptastic amore.

Can she find her way back to modern times before her Italian adventure turns into an Italian forever?

GOODREADS

This looks like such a cute book! I really can't wait until it comes out!!!! September needs to get here faster.

Branching out: Adult book reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley @ Whats Your Story?) — Wed, 09 May 2012 00:19:00 +0000

So, I've made a decision.

Let me start by saying this:

What's Your Story is a YA book blog. It is now, and always will be.

That is not changing.

I've simply decided to branch out, and start reviewing adult books occasionally. I've been reading a lot more of adult romances, paranormal and otherwise, and I'd really like to incorporate them into my blog.

These adult book reviews won't be often. Maybe twice or three times a month, tops. They will all include the above image, indicating that it's not a YA book review. The reviews will also have a "read more" button instead of just being fully displayed on my front page, just to keep everything as YA as possible. I don't want to be an adult blog, at all. I also will not be accepting adult novels for review. Any adult books reviewed on here will be purely because I wanted to read them, and I loved them.

Okeedokee, that's what I wanted to say! :D

TBR Showcase (2)

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley @ Whats Your Story?) — Tue, 08 May 2012 06:00:00 +0000

I've seen a few bloggers do something like this, and it looks kind of fun, so I decided to do my own spin on it!

TBR showcase is a feature in which I take 4 or 5 books off of my to be read pile and, well, showcase them here on the blog. Then you guys can comment on if you've read these books and what you thought of them, and maybe you'll help me bump these books up to the top of my TBR!

This week's books are...

Books:

Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

Wildefire by Karsten Knight

Shade by Jerri Smith Ready

The Liar Society by Lisa & Laura Roecker

So have you read any of these books? What do you think? Which should I read next?

What's My Story? (1)

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley @ Whats Your Story?) — Sat, 05 May 2012 20:48:00 +0000

Books Received:

Cuttlefish by Dave Freer: Got this for review. When I read the blurb, it didn't seem like something I would normally read, but it's from PYR, which is a publisher that has consistently put out books that instantly become top favorites, so I accepted it.

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand: I actually got this one last week, I think, but I didn't do a What's My Story, so I didn't get to show it. I'm SO excited to read this, I want to know what happens with Tuck and Christian!

The Vampire Shrink by Linda Hilburn: Don't really know much about this one, but it was sent to me in a huge bag of swag, and it sounds pretty good. I'll get to it eventually, and I think I'll like it.

The Conqueror's Shadow by Ari Marmell: Ari sent me this book, along with the sequel which will be listed next. I said in my review of False Covenent, which is one of his books, how I wanted to read everything he'd ever written, and he sent me these two! :D THANK YOU ARI!

The Warlord's Legacy by Ari Marmell: See above.

Reviews this Week:

Guardian by Rachel Morgan
Labyrinth by Rachel Morgan
The Goddess Hunt by Aimee Carter
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Giveaways:

*Signed* Under the Never Sky bookmark
Ebook of A Bite's Tale by Veronica Blade
Ebook of Single-handed by Veronica Blade

Blog Tours:

Review: From Fame to Shame by Veronica Blade

Books Read This Week:

Unfortunately, none. :(

To Be Read Pile:

Cuttlefish by Dave Freer
Whisper by Heather Hildenbrand

Review + {GIVEAWAY}: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley @ Whats Your Story?) — Fri, 04 May 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Pages: 374
Publisher: Harper Teen
Genre: YA Dystopian
#1 in Trilogy
GOODREADS
Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered. This was worse.

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland - known as The Death Shop - are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storm...

Quick Thoughts

Guys, I loved Under the Never Sky. There is so much awesome in this book that it's lethal. Seriously.

Review

So, let me start this review with the basics: the world. (Wow, I never knew the whole freaking world was basic, right? Well it is now.) In Under the Never Sky, the world is not how we know it now, nor has it been for a very long time. There are deadly electrical energy storms that plague the earth, called aether storms.

Imagine that, but apparently blue/purple.

Humanity, doing what it does best, found a way to beat mother nature and holed itself up in little pods, then created a virtual reality called the Realms so everyone wouldn't die of boredom. It's like playing Wii, but on steroids. All you have to do is imagine that you're somewhere, and you're there. You can feel it, smell it, see it, and do whatever you like. I loved the world that Rossi created, because it's something that I believe isn't so far off. We already have, as I mentioned earlier, the Wii, and our iPads and Xbox, and however many other virtual games out there. Who's to say that it won't ever go a step further and become real, in the sense that instead of just incorporating the sense of sight as it does now, these virtual realities will affect all five senses. At first the descriptions of the technology confused me, but once I understood it, I thought it was really cool.

Second up, our main character, Aria! Now, for me, when I first started the book, I wasn't too keen on Aria. I didn't dislike her at all, I just wasn't connected to her. However, once she's dumped on her butt out in the open and dangerous air, I started to like her. She's a fighter, this one, and she's smart too. I have a thing for heroines who are badass, and I tip my hat to Aria. She may not be the baddest of asses, but she can hold her own. I loved the play on words with Aria's name, because she's an opera singer, and an aria in opera is a solo. There's importance to the fact that she's such an amazing singer, but I won't spoil why. On another note, to tie it back into the 'world' aspect of the book, in the pods, the female reproductive system is basically turned off. Children are not born, they are engineered, and when people do the deed, they're doing it in virtual reality, so there's no risk of pregnancy. (You'll see the quote below, actually.) So, once Aria is thrown out into the real world... her body starts adapting... and awkwardness ensues. It was so funny, because I actually called it a few chapters earlier when she said she had cramps in the lower part of her stomach and I was like "OH, SHE'S GOING TO GET HER PERIOD." And, well... I'll just let you enjoy the awkwardness, so I won't spoil it, but it was fun-ney.

Now, we come to my favorite part of the review. PEREGRINE. Or, Perry for short. He's the kind of guy that can just...

Yep. Exactly. He's that kind of guy. What I liked was that this wasn't an instant love by any means. When Aria and Perry first meet--actually meet, as in she's conscious, and you'll understand why I'm clarifying that when you read the book--she's afraid of him, and they both mutually dislike each other. There's quite a bit of hostility between the two. Both Perry and Aria lost everything because of each other, and now they're stuck together as they search for the way out of their predicament. What I love is that Perry is quiet and brooding, but he can bring on the snark if the need arises. Plus, he's a Scire, which means he has extra sensitive smell. He can even smell people's emotions! Which can be both a blessing and a curse. But it was really amazing to read from his perspective, because it was so different from Aria's! The way Perry thinks was just... wow. Since he's so in tune with what people are feeling, it's like a constant flood of emotions. And Perry is actually extremely sensitive, he just doesn't show it on the outside. So, he would adjust his reaction according to what he was smelling. Oh, I just loved Perry. I want to marry him and have his children.

This book was riddled with awesome characters, the most awesome of which--besides Perry and Aria--was Roar. Ohmygod I love Roar. It's a true, all consuming love of the best kind. He is the type of guy that will be a wonderful gentleman one moment, and then would just as soon peek in on you while you changed. (Not that I would have a problem with that, mind you.) He added spark to the story, and plenty of comic relief.

Under the Never Sky wasn't really action packed, save for the very beginning, and the very end. There's a sort of lag in between those two where there is a lot of walking and talking (literally, I'm not just trying to be quirky). But, with the walking and talking comes vivid characterization, so it wasn't really noticeable, or at least it was easily overlooked that nothing really happened. That shows just how amazing this book is, that the vibrancy of the characters certainly outweighed the plot.

Who Should Read This Book?

EVERYONE. If you are a living, breathing human being, read this book. If you're a fan of fantasy, paranormal, dystopian, contemporary, historical--guess what? I DON'T CARE. READ THIS BOOK. There is honestly something in it for everyone, no matter what genre is your favorite.

Tyra agrees; YOU read this book. Now.

Memorable Quotes

She looked up. “A world of nevers under a never sky.”
She fit in well then, he thought. A girl who never shut up.

* * *

Roar leaned across the table and smiled at her seductively, his dark hair falling into his eyes. "When you say everything happens in the Realms, do you mean everything?"

Aria laughed nervously."Yes. Especially that.There are no risks in the Realms."

Roar's smile widened. "You simply think it and it happens? And it actually feels real?"

"Why are we talking about this?"

"I need a Smarteye," he said.

* * *

In the afternoon, they stopped to eat on a rocky outcrop. Perry brushed a kiss on her cheek while she was chewing, and she learned that it was the loveliest thing to be kissed for no reason, even while chewing food. It brightened the woods, and the never sky, and everything.

Read it for yourself!

Buy the Book

Amazon

Kindle: $10.99

Paperback: $8.04

Hardover: $11.98

Barnes and Noble

Nook: $9.99

Hardcover: $11.98

The Book Depository (Free shipping worldwide!)

Paperback: $9.76

Hardcover: $13.80

About the Author
Website • Twitter • Facebook
Veronica Rossi's debut novel, UNDER THE NEVER SKY, will be published in over twenty international markets, starting on January 3rd 2012 in the United States. Film rights to the trilogy have been optioned by Warner Bros.

When not writing, she chases after her boys, who make her laugh every day, and who teach her about love that's "a million gazillion times bigger than the ocean."

What Other People Say

Book Fanatics
A Lush Budget Production Tales of a Ravenous Reader
Taking It One Page at a Time
Redhead Heroines

GIVEAWAY

Want to win this snazzy signed bookmark that I got at an author signing when Veronica Rossi came here to Miami?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: The Goddess Hunt by Aimee Carter

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley @ Whats Your Story?) — Thu, 03 May 2012 06:00:00 +0000

The Goddess Hunt by Aimee Carter
Pages: 92
Version: E-book
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Genre: YA Greek Myth
Goodreads
#1.5 in the Goddess Test series

A vacation in Greece sounds like the perfect way for Kate Winters to spend her first sabbatical away from the Underworld...until she gets caught up in an immortal feud going back millennia. Castor and Pollux have been on the run from Zeus and Hades' wrath for centuries, hiding from the gods who hunt them. The last person they trust is Kate, the new Queen of the Underworld. Nevertheless, she is determined to help their cause. But when it comes to dealing with immortals, Kate still has a lot to learn...

Amazingly enough, this is actually my favorite book in the whole Goddess Test series thus far. The first one was all right, and the second one was extremely hot and cold for me, but this novella falls right in-between the first and second book, and we see a different side of Kate. This is the side that's still pining for Henry, but she has other things to keep her distracted, so her individual personality shines through more. I like Kate as a character, I always have, I just hate it when she turns into this whiny sniveling character that has nothing better to do than bemoan the fact that she'll never be as good as her sister, Persephone. But in The Goddess Hunt, there isn't any trace of that annoying Kate, and all we see is a strong-willed woman who is coming into her own as a goddess--and a queen no less! She's learning how to use her judgment to deal with these situations where tough decisions must be made, and she doesn't mind stepping on people's toes to defend what she believes is right. She even goes so far as to defy Walter--Zeus--who is the king of the gods, and she does so without batting an eyelash. I absolutely loved this fiery and willful Kate, and, gosh, I want to see much more of her in the third book!

Finally, we get to read from Henry's perspective, and it sheds some light on his feelings for Kate, and why he's woefully under equipped to actually show those feelings to her. It made me less angry at him for how he acted in the second book, because at least now I understand how he thinks slightly better. But still, it wasn't enough! I think Henry should have his own novella! That would be awesome!

I loved Castor and Pullux's story, and them as characters. I think I'd like to see them again in the future, even if it's just a short cameo. I also very much enjoyed how other characters were expanded in this novella, such as Walter, who I frankly don't care much about. But it's interesting to see more from him, and his relationship dynamic with Henry is actually a pretty big thing in a subtle way, because they are like the two big kahunas in all of this--the two gods that are the most powerful, so what they say and do affects everyone.

As I said, I enjoyed this one much more than the other two books in this series, so I'm going to give it 4 out of 5 stars. It renewed my interest in the characters, and in the books in general.

-----------------------------------------

Want to read the book for yourself? Check out the links below!

Buy the Book

Amazon

Kindle: $1.99

Barnes and Noble

Nook: $1.99

Other Books in the Series

(Click on covers to go to Amazon)

Book 1- The Goddess Test

Book 2- Goddess Interrupted

Review: Labyrinth by Rachel Morgan

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley @ Whats Your Story?) — Wed, 02 May 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Labyrinth by Rachel Morgan
Pages: 70
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Creepy Hollow #2

Guardian trainee Violet Fairdale has officially been suspended for bringing a human into the fae realm. No assignments, no training, and goodbye to that position at the top of the class. While this sucks, it at least allows her time to secretly keep visiting Nate, the human boy who caused her suspension in the first place. It’s not the wisest move to continue breaking Guild Law, but no one’s going to find out. And Nate is worth the risk, isn’t he?

To prevent herself from going into assignment withdrawal, Vi throws herself into investigating Nate’s real mother, Angelica, a woman who seems to be mysteriously connected to the world of the fae. Nate’s never given her much thought, but that was before an insane faerie abducted him in order to blackmail Angelica out of hiding. Now Nate wants answers, and Vi’s got the perfect ability to help him.

This is the second little novelette in the Creepy Hollow series, which I read in quick succession after I finished the first one, Guardian. They're so short, that reading the both of them together made it almost one full book. That's my biggest 'problem' with this series, is that the individual installments are too short to actually sate my reading appetite. Just as I finally start falling into the reading groove, and get into the characters, the story would end! I wanted more details about where they were, what they needed to do, and definitely more details about the Violet being a Guardian.

That being said, I did enjoy this novelette, and the series in general. I think the reason why is because I read both books one right after the other so in my head it all became one story. I did like the characterization as Labyrinth progressed, I feel like we got to see much more of Violet's and especially Nate's personality. There is also some crazy stuff going on, that I don't want to spoil, but I really want to know what will happen! I'll be reading the next one, for sure, and if I'm not mistaken this will have several more novella installations. So I guess that's good.

Overall, I wasn't emotionally invested in this book, or very much with the characters, but it was an entertaining read, and a very quick one. It was something to read late at night, and a nice take on the faeries. There's really not much else I can say about Labyrinth, other than, if it seems like something you'll like, I say you should definitely read it. It's so short, that even if you end up not liking it, you won't have wasted much of your time. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Memorable Quotes
I put my hands on my hips. “What’s wrong with the way I look?”
“Come on, Vi,” he says, keeping his voice low. “You just need to add your boots and you’re like the forest version of Lara Croft.”
“Excuse me? Lara who?”
“I mean, it’s really sexy and everything.” He pulls me closer and slips his arms around my waist. “But it’s not exactly the way I’d want you to meet my mom.”
* * *
I angle my head down and peer up at him through my lashes in what I hope is an alluring manner. I have zero experience in this area though, so it’s possible I look like a total moron.
* * *
The bathroom door swings open and Nate walks out. He’s toweling his damp hair and wearing nothing but a pair of boxers.
Crap. I should have left this for a more appropriately clothed time of day.

-----------------------------

Want to read the book yourself? Check out the links below!

Buy Labyrinth

Amazon

Kindle: $0.99

Other books in the series:

Book #1- Guardian

Buy Guardian

Amazon

Kindle: $0.99

{Blog Tour Review and GIVEAWAY}: From Fame to Shame by Veronica Blade

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley @ Whats Your Story?) — Tue, 01 May 2012 06:00:00 +0000

From Fame to Shame by Veronica Blade
Pages: 125
Publisher: Crush Publishing
Genre: YA Contemp Romance
GOODREADS

When good-girl Maddie switches places with her famous bad-girl twin Jackie, she has some pretty high stilettos to fill.
Despite the danger of tabloid drama if their identity swap is discovered, Maddie has to save her sister's butt. When Jackie’s ex-boyfriend shows up with a rekindled spark for “Jackie,” his deep gray eyes and sweet kisses make Maddie's heart thumpety thump. But dating the guy who dumped her sister is a no-no. Too bad Dallas isn’t used to girls saying no. What will happen when he discovers Maddie’s deception?

Guys, it's no secret that I'm Veronica Blade's #1 fan. Like, no one loves her books more than I do. That is a true fact, and I will fight anyone who tries to step up in here and say otherwise.

Since I read all of Veronica's books at lightning speed, they only last me a few hours at the most, which makes me sad when she's my favorite author. Luckily for me, Veronica is literally a writing machine, and is churning out books almost as fast as I can read them! When From Fame to Shame finally got released, it was like the book fairy had come and granted my wishes. Or like Santa Clause decided to stop by and left a present on my Kindle.

I absolutely loved From Fame to Shame. It's actually my favorite book from Veronica for the moment (I say that because the next book I read from Veronica will undoubtedly become my favorite). I'm not usually a fan of contemporary, but FFTS was written so well and with such awesome characters that I couldn't help but love it! How cool would it be to switch places with your famous twin sister? I know I would love it, but the funny thing is that Maddie didn't. Well, at first she didn't. She didn't really like all the glamour and attention that comes with life in the public eye, and I liked that about her because it made her down to earth. Of course, it's difficult not to love the spotlight when there's a certain hottie that wants to share it with you. *dreamy sigh*

DALLAS!

Dallas is a famous actor who just so happens to be the ex-boyfriend of Maddie's sister, Jackie. Dallas and Jackie didn't really have chemistry, so they mutually broke it off. But once Maddie fills in for her sister, Dallas is definitely feeling the spark that wasn't there before! I'm amazed Maddie was able to say no to him for so long! Honestly, if I had him trying to date me, I'd just rip his clothes off and jump his bones! He's so.... sweet, charming, charismatic, and thoughtful. But then other times, he literally exudes raw male sexuality. There was this one scene where Maddie plays photographer and takes some pictures of Dallas for his cover shot or resume or whatever (you'd think I would know this being and actress, but I digress) and he's in white pants and a white shirt--UNBUTTONED!--and he's on his bed, and it was just amazing.

Honestly guys, please don't make me beg. Buy From Fame to Shame, read it, and enjoy it, because I know you will. I'll get down on my knees and grovel if I have to, but I don't think I will. I think the promise of Dallas is enough. ;) Seriously though, it's like $0.99 for Kindle, so just buy it! And it's a really quick read, being a novella, so it's like 125 pages.

From Fame to Shame gets 5 out of 5 stars!

-----------------------------------------

Want to read the book yourself? Check out the links below!

Buy the Book

Amazon

Paperback: $5.49

Kindle: $0.99 (free for Prime members!)

GIVEAWAY
As part of the blog tour, I'm giving away 2 awesome prizes today.

The first is an e-book copy for any e-reader of Veronica's recently published short story Single-Handed.

Second, I'm giving away a KINDLE copy of one of Veronica's other novellas, A Bite's Tale.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Guardian by Rachel Morgan

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley @ Whats Your Story?) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Guardian by Rachel Morgan
Pages: 55
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: YA Fantasy

1. Receive assignment.
2. Save a life.
3. Sleep.
4. Repeat.
Protecting humans from dangerous magical creatures is all in a day’s work for a faerie training to be a guardian. Seventeen-year-old Violet Fairdale knows this better than anyone—she’s about to become the best guardian the Guild has seen in years. That is, until one of her assignments—a human boy who shouldn’t even be able to see her—follows her into the fae realm. Now she’s broken Guild Law, a crime that could lead to her expulsion.

The last thing Vi wants to do is spend any more time with the boy who got her into this mess, but the Guild requires that she return Nate to his home and make him forget everything he’s discovered of the fae realm. Easy, right? But Nate and Vi are about to land themselves in even bigger trouble—and it’ll take all Vi’s training to get them out alive.

I received Guardian for review, and since it was such a short novelette, I just decided to read it one night. I thought it was good, nothing particularly special. I am a fan of books about faeries, and I liked how Rachel Morgan created her world and her fey. But, as is the case with most novellas/novelettes that I've read, there could be so much more! I think if the story were full length, or at least twice the size as it is now, that it could be something really fantastic. There is a lot that can be added, and the plot in general can be majorly slowed down. There isn't enough time for the events to unfold.

Plus, there is some pretty major insta-love in here, which is unfortunate, because I really dislike insta-love. I mean, they don't actually say the words, but they just start kissing out of nowhere, and I just sat there while reading saying to myself "Where did that come from?"

It's a pretty short little novelette, it only took me about 45 minutes to read it. It's not a bad read, insta-love aside, I just feel like there was so much room for growth and improvement, and this little novel had so much potential! There was plenty of action though, so I was never bored. I did want to know what would happen next, and I was really curious as to why everyone was after Nate.

I liked Vi and Nate both, I just felt like I didn't get to know them very well. I also really enjoyed the whole Guild set up, and the thing about the fey being guardians for humans. It's an interesting take on fey.

If you want something quick and enjoyable, then definitely read Guardian. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

--------------------------

Want to read the book for yourself? Check out the links below!

Amazon

Kindle: $0.99

{Blog Tour} Excerpt post + GIVEAWAY: Survival by AM Hargrove

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley @ Whats Your Story?) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Survival by AM Hargrove
Pages: 295
Genre: YA Paranormal
#1 in Guardians of Vesturon Series

"Maybe I was caught between the two worlds. I was having serious trouble distinguishing fantasy from reality."
While on a backpacking trip in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, nineteen-year-old Maddie Pearce finds her world has been thrown into a vortex and is madly spinning toward the impossible. Abducted by a mad psychopath, Maddie narrowly escapes with her life. But that is only the beginning. Her mysterious rescuer introduces her to a world that Maddie has difficulty accepting as reality. Will this strikingly gorgeous stranger be the key to her future or will she return to her mundane world, scarred from her experience? Follow Maddie as she is forced to make difficult decisions that carry her to mysterious places.

Today, I'm so excited to be the first tour stop as part of the Survival blog tour. As part of the kick off, I have an excerpt from the book! As well as a giveaway, but that's farther down. Here is the excerpt:

Then, unexpectedly, three brightly glowing melon-sized balls of light came soaring across the dark sky. When they were a few feet away, from me, they elongated into long thin slivers. Moments later, the slivers expanded and then took form into three indistinct shapes.

I kept blinking my eyes, not trusting what I was seeing. I was positive I was hallucinating. This must be what happens right before you die.

Then, the indistinct shapes morphed into three men—three very tall, powerfully built men. They were identical in that they were all dressed alike—wearing black hooded cloaks that fell to their ankles. The hoods hid their faces, but I had the strangest feeling they were there to help me.

Eventually, I could understand words and phrases from the voices I was hearing.

“Serious injuries.”

“How long?”

“Does she know?”

“Fell…”

“Arrows… “

I was still fading in and out, but the hallucinations were disturbing. I couldn’t quite discern them. I heard one of the men saying something about a scanner. Then, I heard a high-pitched sound. After that, there were more discussions about injuries. I assumed they were speaking of my injuries, but I was so befuddled I wasn’t sure of anything.

I must have been crying because one of the robed strangers brought a hand to my face and gently wiped my tears away.

He whispered, “It is ok, Madeline! We are here to care for you.”

“Who are you?” I struggled to get the words out, as it had become increasingly more difficult for me to breathe.

Then, my senses were assaulted with the scent of an earthy pine forest—deep and luscious, the type of scent, that you could only experience hiking in the woods after a rain, when everything is moist and damp. It was simply wonderful; I just wanted to continue inhaling it, enveloping myself in the heady aroma. It was extremely soothing, almost a sensual feeling. I didn’t stop to think it was unusual, all of these sensory encounters. My mind couldn’t focus on any particular thought. I was simply… there. Was I still alive? Had I lost my mind?

“Madeline, we are going to have to move you, but do not worry. We have given you something for the pain, and we will take great care not to cause you too much discomfort,” the man said.

“Where are you taking me?” I whispered. “I’m really scared,” I pathetically squeaked out.

“We know.”

Whoever spoke tenderly placed a warm, soothing hand against my uninjured cheek. I felt a soft, gentle touch that somehow soothed me.

“We are taking you someplace safe… where you can heal. We are here to help you.” I felt this savior take my hand and hold it firmly, passing his strength to me.

I tried to lift my head, but I didn’t have the strength anymore. Then, I started feeling a sense of numbness wash over my body, and my pain began to ease tremendously. I think they had given me an anesthetic for the pain. Then, I felt myself being lifted, but I couldn’t open my heavily weighted eyes. I felt the comforting cocoon of darkness return.

What an awesome excerpt! Are you excited to read Survival now? Well, great because it's FREE! Yep, Survival is free for every e-reader, everywhere, always and forever. :)

Download Survival

Kindle

Nook

Smashwords (for every other e-reader)

Now for the giveaway! If you'd like a copy of the sequel to Survival, Resurrection, then leave a comment below with your thoughts on what Survival will be like. Leave your email!

New Feature!: What's My Story?

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley @ Whats Your Story?) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 20:18:00 +0000

In light of all that has happened recently concerning a certain blog and plagiarism, I've decided to discontinue doing In My Mailbox. Instead, I'm going to start my own feature, called What's My Story? (Get it? Because my blog is What's Your Story?.... okay, lol.)

In What's My Story, I'm not limiting myself to just the books I got for the week. It's be almost like a 'week in review' feature, where I'll link to any reviews and posts that went up that week, any blog tours, author interviews, guest post, ect, that I participated in, and the books I read. It'll also contain my TBR for the following week.

To keep up my original schedule, before all of this happened and I had to take IMM out of it, I've decided to post What's My Story on Sundays.

What do you guys think?

Review: Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley @ Whats Your Story?) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter
Pages: 304
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Genre: YA Greek Mythology

Kate Winters has won immortality. But if she wants a life with Henry in the Underworld, she'll have to fight for it.
Becoming immortal wasn't supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she's as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he's becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate's coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans. As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person whom she would really rather not meet. Henry's first wife, Persephone.

Okay, this is going to be an interesting review.

If you read my review of the first book, The Goddess Test, you will see that I wasn't a fan of that one. I gave it 3 stars, and had hopes that the second book, this one, would be better.

And here's where it gets really tricky.

I'm not sure where I stand on Goddess Interrupted. I liked it better than The Goddess Test in some aspects, but then I hated it in others. I guess it's because I'm so close to Greek mythology, and just really close to the myth of Hades and Persephone in general because it's my favorite myth and the one that I've researched most heavily.

I'm not really going to dwell on how there are so many inconsistencies between the actual Greek myths and the gods and goddesses in this story, because it's not worth it, and most of the people reading this book probably aren't as focused on that aspect. I'm simply saying that they just don't match up. (For instance, if Demeter arranged the marriage between Persephone and Hades as she did in this book, then how would the creation of winter ever have come about? The whole point of that is Demeter grieves over the loss of her daughter once she finds out that Persephone has been taken behind her back and she lets the whole world die as a way to strong-arm Zeus into forcing Hades to return Persephone.)

Those issues aside, I liked this story better in the aspect that now we're finally getting some action! Cronus, the king of the Titans, is breaking out of his prison in the Underworld and if that happens, well, everyone is dead. Everyone, gods and goddesses included. So, now we have an actual purpose instead of just "I have to save Henry from fading away because he's wallowing in a thousand years' worth of self pity!" Except, Kate never gets to actually do anything. I get it, she's young and inexperienced, but everyone is shielding her from the problems. Let her fight, dammit! Teach her, show her how to tap into her potential power! She's a goddess now, she can take it!

However, Kate herself annoyed the everliving crap out of me. Persephone is brought back into the picture, which spells trouble for Kate and Henry's relationship, because Henry is still madly in love with Persephone. So, I did empathize with Kate a lot, whenever they would show Henry and Persephone together, and Henry was basically making googley eyes at Persephone. I understand how much that must hurt, and Kate had every right to feel that way. But there just came a point when I wanted to yell, "Stop whining, and fight for your man!" Kate complains that Henry hasn't kissed her once since she returned. Well, you know what you should do? Grab him by the fucking hair and KISS HIM. Show him that you're his wife now, not the annoying blonde bitch, and he needs to remember that. I wanted Kate to confront Henry, and she did, but not with the authority I had hoped. She lets him turn the situation around on her, making her feel bad for him ignoring her, and she should have stood her ground and not caved.

Which brings me to my next point. Henry. I like him in general, and I think he's a good representation of Hades, but in this book I swear I wanted to get a freaking crow bar and smash him over the head with it. He was so cold to Kate! There were a few gestures, a hand on her back here, an arm on her waist there, but it's like I said earlier, did he kiss her? Nope. Did he make love to her? Not once. (Well, until Kate finally blows up on him at the very end.) She's his freaking wife, and he's treating her like she isn't even there! I understand that he's stressed, but come on. And what the fuck about Persephone? There's one scene between him and Persephone that Kate witnesses, that I swear, if I was Kate, I would've divorced Henry's ass right then and there. I really have no sympathy for Henry in his 'tortured unrequited love' for Persephone, because honestly, you can't pine after someone who won't love you for so long. For a while, you can grieve over the loss of her love, but you just have to pick yourself up and find someone who will love you. And he did! In Kate! And yet he treats her like crap. Ugh, men.

Even though we saw very little of Cronus, I found him really interesting, and I want to see what happens with him. He seemed to have a... fixation with Kate, and really want to know where that goes. I feel like that will be a very important aspect in the next novel, and something that will greatly influence the course of the future plot.

I have to give Aimee Carter credit, though. She knows how to write a freaking cliffhanger. That ending alone was SUCH a cliffhanger, that even though I'm not fond of this series, I honestly need to read the next book just to find out what happens. I can't not continue now, after it ended like that.

I'm not going to give this book a starred review, because I'm not sure what to give it. So, I'll just leave it at that.

-----------------------------------------

Want to read the book for yourself? Check out the links below!

Buy the Book

Amazon

Paperback: $9.99

Kindle: $7.69

Barnes and Noble

Paperback: $9.99

Nook: $7.69

The Book Depository (Free shipping worldwide!)

Paperback: $9.77

Team Luxen Ladies!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley @ Whats Your Story?) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 21:13:00 +0000

Have you heard about Daemon Invasion? Do you want to take part, and be in an elite street team that does fun missions to earn prizes like swag, and cool team kits?

THEN JOIN MY TEAM, THE LUXEN LADIES! :D

My team has been filled!

And here are the Luxen Ladies themselves!

Ivy

Blog: Ivy Reads

Twitter: @IvyReads

Tumblr: SuperStar

Daphne

Blog: Loving Books

Twitter: @lvngbooks

Tumblr: Loving Books

Facebook: Loving Books

Racquel

Blog: The Book Barbies

Twitter: @purplebull7

Anna

Twitter: @OnyxObsidianLuv

Emma

Blog: The Book Barbies

Twitter: @framingstars

Blog: JJ iReads

Twitter: @jjireads

Facebook: JJ iReads

Lindsay

Blog: Lindsay Mead

Twitter: @Linsday_mead

Facebook: The Book Vlogger

Krista

Blog: Cublicle Blindness Reviews

Twitter: @cubicleblindnes

Haley

Blog: Passing the Pages

Twitter: @PassingPages

Amber

Blog: The Musings of ALMYBNENR

Twitter: @almybnenr

Facebook: The Musings of Almybnenr

GIVEAWAY!

Guess what? To celebrate Daemon Invasion, I'm giving away an INTERNATIONAL copy of Obsidian!!

To enter, leave a comment about what you would do if Daemon was your boyfriend. Remember to include your email!

Members of the team Luxen Ladies get an extra 5 entries into the giveaway, and I have 2 spots left open, so get those emails in! First come, first serve!

Review: Descended by Blood by Angeline Kace

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley @ Whats Your Story?) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 04:30:00 +0000

Descended by Blood by Angeline Kace
Pages: 263
Publisher: Accendo Press
Genre: YA Paranormal

Brooke Keller is a high school junior who has never spent much time living in one place. She is finally in a town long enough to almost snag the boy of her dreams, until her life is threatened after killing a fanged man in his attempt to kidnap her. Brooke begins a dangerous journey in an effort to find out who is after her and how to stop them. In a world with powerful and prejudiced vampires, Brooke must tap into the side of her that she never knew existed at the risk of losing her life in order to save it.

This book has been getting quite a bit of love from the bloggers I read regularly, so I decided to buy the paperback of it. I was looking for something quick the other day, so I just picked up Descended by Blood. I have to say that I was underwhelmed by this book. It didn't turn out to be what I thought, and unfortunately I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped I would.

When I started Descended by Blood, I was actually really into it because there was an adorable budding romance with a boy that Brooke has been majorly crushing on for years, Jaren Matthews. Angeline Kace had a good writing style, not the best and still a bit unpolished in some spots, but it carried the story along well. The book opened with quite a rush, and that grabbed me. I liked where things were going in Brooke and Jaren's relationship a lot, and I really liked Jaren! He was sweet, and really caring, and honestly the ideal guy for any girl. But then they hit a snag in the road, namely a vampire assassin that tries to kill Brooke, and all of that goes out the window. Then things happen at lightning speed, and then we're introduced to Mirko, another vampire who is assigned to care for Brooke.

Here's where I have the problem.

I hate love triangles in general (see my post in which I explain, in various gifs, why). But, I can put up with them if that girl isn't actually dating either of the boys and is just trying to make her decision. But in Descended by Blood, that's not the case. Brooke is literally oscillating between both boys, kissing one in one scene, and then the other in the next. I really just don't jive with that. I hate when people string along others just because they're indecisive. It's literally the ultimate form of douchebaggery. So it irritated me when Brooke would be all, "Oh, wow, Mirko is so hot!" and then in the next train of thought be like "But I still love Jaren, I can't decide who I want to be with more.... so I'll just be with both of them!"

I think the really funny (and unbelievable) part was that both boys went along with it! They were just like "I'll fight for you, and I won't give up, Brooke." Ummm, what? Last time I checked, no boy I know would ever let themselves be used like that. It's honestly demeaning to both of them. You're either with one, or with neither, but you can't have both. That's something that really annoyed me about Brooke, and I really wish the love triangle would have been handled differently.

On a more positive note, I did very much like the vampires in this book. Unique vampires are hard to come by now a days, and I love it when authors do their research and build a complex mythology around their vamps. That was pretty cool. I liked that they had like these special abilities, and it was interesting to see Brooke learning how to enhance hers.

I'm still undecided as to whether I'll read the second. I guess I'll wait a while after it comes out, and see some of the reviews on it. I give Descended by Blood 2 out of 5 stars.

---------------------------------------

Want to read the book for yourself? Check out the links below!

Buy the Book

Amazon

Kindle: $2.99

Paperback: $7.99

Barnes and Noble

Paperback: $7.99

Review: Shaken by Susan Hatler

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley @ Whats Your Story?) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 04:30:00 +0000

Shaken by Susan Hatler
Pages: 255
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: YA Paranormal

High school junior, Kylie Bates, can suddenly read minds. When she touches people’s hands, she’s able to see their deepest thoughts. As if that’s not freaky enough, her dad sends her to help hottie detective, Sam Williams, track down a missing girl. Way too much pressure, especially for a girl who can’t watch Scream without getting nightmares.

Then, finding the missing girl leads to much more than Kylie’s prepared for. Like discovering that her dad has been lying to her. That she has a family she never knew about. That the girls have powers similar to hers. Oh yeah, and that someone is out to get her.

When the detective’s teenage wanna-be-cop cousin, Trip Williams, approaches Kylie at school insisting she help him solve the case, she discovers Trip might be the only one she can trust, and the only one to help her unravel the secrets behind her mysterious gift.

Words cannot even begin to describe just how much I LOVE Shaken by Susan Hatler! It's the kind of book you don't come across very often in YA. It was just so, so good.

Where do I even start? I'll start with the main character, Kylie. The main character is always a make or break thing for me. If the main character isn't good, the book isn't good. But I really liked Kylie! I found her easily relatable as a teenage girl, dealing with boy and best friend troubles. And when she found out things were getting weird for her, she didn't freak out or lose control. She handled everything really well.

This book actually threw me for quite the loop! I had no idea where it was headed, and the ending completely took me by surprise. I did not see it coming at all, and usually I'll have an inkling of where books will go. I have to give Susan major props for that!

Okay, let's get to my favorite part of this novel...

TRIP!

Oh, I do love Trip! He was perfect, there honestly isn't anything I could say about him that the gif above doesn't already. I knew from the moment we first met him that he was going to be sexy as all hells. But, whoo boy!

I need a sequel RIGHT NOW!

I give Shaken 5 out of 5 stars.

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Want to read the book for yourself? Check out the links below!

Buy the Book

Amazon

Kindle: $3.99 (free for prime members)

Barnes and Noble

Paperback: $8.99

DAEMON INVASION!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley @ Whats Your Story?) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 20:10:00 +0000

Over the last couple of weeks, you’ve heard us talking about the upcoming #daemoninvasion and we’re so excited to finally share with you what is going on.

Really excited.

The beautiful and uber cool models, Pepe Toth and Sztella Tziotziosz, who grace the Lux covers, will be joining us in the United States! You heard right. They are flying here, from Hungary to spend a few days as Daemon and Katy! While they are here, they will be working with Vania, from VLC Productions (the team behind Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments, Melissa de La Cruz, Kimberly Derting, Moira Young, Kami Garcia and Margret Stohl, Hillary Duff, Lauren Destefano, and many, many more authors’ book trailers), to film book trailers for the Lux Series.

During the filming in Atlanta, they will be accompanying us on tour! What does that mean? You get to meet them. In the flesh. They will be participating in the signings and events. At those signings, we’ll be giving away signed posters, photos, and other swag. There will also be meet and greet events you can join in on.

At each signing, there will be advanced copies of Onyx given away!

And to top things off (as if this isn’t enough, but we don’t do anything small), there’s something very, very exciting in the works! It involves advanced copies of Opal, water, and a little destination known as the Bahamas.

I am not kidding.

This will be epic.

Aare you excited? I am! This tour is going to be so, so much fun, and I’m so thrilled that Pepe and Sztella are a part of it. We owe them a huge thank you and a giant welcome making the 16 hour flight to meet the readers of the Lux Series. You!

Daemon Invasion Signing and Event Schedule

June 8^th
FoxTale Book Shoppe
Woodstock, GA
3:00pm

June 10^th
Barnes and Noble
St Johns Town Center
Jacksonville, FL
3:00pm

June 13^th
Barnes and Noble
Waterford Lakes Town Center
Orlando, FL
3:00pm

June 14^th
Barnes and Noble
The Palladium at City Place
West Palm Beach, FL
4:00pm
DO YOU WANT TO BE A PART OF DAEMON INVASION?

Here's how! I need 10 people to be part of my team. You need to have a blog and/or goodreads account, and a Twitter and Facebook would be really great too. What does the team do? It takes part in some really fun and exclusive missions for Daemon Invasion, and also gets some fun goodies like SWAG! :D

If you want to be a part of my team, EMAIL ME RIGHT NOW at whatsyourstorybookreviews@gmail.com

Remember, I can only have 10 people, so it's on a first come first serve basis. You need to really want to be on the team, and be completely willing to participate. Trust me, a lot of fun stuff is coming from this team, and I'll explain it all to you in the email!

Don’t forget to visit Jennifer L. Armentrout’s blog to win a signed set of Half-Blood and Pure in celebration of her adult romance release, Tempting the Best Man, under pen name J. Lynn. It can be purchased here.

Waiting on Wednesday (14)

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley @ Whats Your Story?) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 04:30:00 +0000

Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…
Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarre connection. I’ve sworn him off even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But against all common sense, I’m falling for him. Hard.

Our relationship issues aren’t out biggest problem…

The Department of Defense is here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we’re linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And when a new boy shows up a school with a secret of his own, things get complicated fast. I need to choose between my own instincts and Daemon’s.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. Daemon’s never going to stop searching until gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies.

Do I even need to explain why I want this book? I don't think so.

DAEMON BLACK!

On plagiarism and the YA community

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley @ Whats Your Story?) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 02:58:00 +0000

I've decided to just jump in with my two cents on this whole The Story Siren plagiarism matter. Unless some new development comes to light with this situation, this post is the last I plan to say on that matter, either here, or on Twitter/Facebook.

For those of you who don't know, here's the post from one of the bloggers that Kristi plagiarized giving the explanation and evidence.

You know, a few months ago, something similar happened with some other bloggers at Paranormal Night Owl reviews. That blog no longer exists, but basically these two girls were massively plagiarizing many other bloggers and peddling the reviews off as their own. Once this was found out, very many bloggers were up in arms and were determined to shut Paranormal Night Owls down. Completely. They contacted publishers and informed them of the plagiarism, and they even boycotted the blog.

Not one person stopped and said, "Wait, guys, we should just forgive them for what they've done."

Edited for clarification: (Thanks to Rachel for explaining!) The two girls who ran the PNO blog were repeat offenders. They plagiarized under different blogs names twice before Paranormal Night Owls, and the first time it was found out, it was dealt with between the girls, and the bloggers affected. Then they did it again, were caught and then stopped. Once more they tried, hence PNO, and at this point the victimized bloggers had had enough. (The full story is below in the comments.)

So, my question to you is, why is everyone saying this for Kristi? Why is she so special, that she should be treated differently than anyone else that decides to plagiarize?

I've been a victim of plagiarism, and let me tell you, it sucks. A lot. It hurts to know that someone stole words that you wrote and worked hard on, and was getting credit for them. So I sympathize very much with the victimized bloggers, and I understand why they're so angered. Really, I do.

Also edited, to include my own experience with plagiarism. A few months back, I received an email from another blogger telling me that one of my reviews had been stolen--word for word--and posted on another blog. By the time I became aware of what was going on, there were many bloggers already in action trying to get this girl shut down, and it worked too. I saw my review up on her blog. MY REVIEW. And I was so intensely angry. Luckily, the blogger that had contacted me had taken care of getting this girl to stop, and the reviews were deleted off of Goodreads, and the plagiarizer shut down her blog.

I guess what I'm trying to say with this PNO reference, and the reference to my experience with plagiarism, is that both times, the bloggers who were victimized took action to have the offender shut down. Literally, shut down. I'm just wondering why people are taking it so easy on Kristi, and I'm saying that it's because of her status as like this 'uber YA blogger'.

And no, I don't think we should just "forgive and forget" what Kristi did, because what she did wasn't right. And if it were anyone else, I know that people wouldn't have those same sentiments. If you had a bum and Madonna in the same room, and they both committed theft, shouldn't they get the same punishment? Or should you go easier on Madonna because of who she is, and maybe because she'll publicly say sorry? (Which to be honest, I don't buy into Kristi's 'apologies' because they just sound like she's trying so hard to deflect the blame from herself.) No, you shouldn't give Madonna special treatment over the bum, and we shouldn't give Kristi special treatment either.

And what I find really funny is everyone is saying "She's human, she makes mistakes!" Of course she does! But copying numerous posts from other people--and making it really obvious once you stop and compare them--is not a mistake. One thing is to type a weird word because your finger slips, and you publish it without meaning to. That's a mistake. But after you spend 30 minutes on a blog, several times over, in fact, it stops becoming a mistake and instead becomes something very intentional. Kristi knew very well what she was doing, because she did it several times.

Which brings me to my next point. Another thing many people are saying is that "she should get a second chance." Do you guys realize that she's already had a second chance, and a third, and a fourth? She had a second chance when, after she posted the first plagiarized post, she decided to plagiarize another, and another, until she had a grand total of 6 plagiarized posts.

SIX.

Are you still going to tell me she made a mistake? That she didn't mean to? That she's sincerely sorry for what she did? Because if she really was sorry, she wouldn't have done it in the first place, or she at least wouldn't have done it more than once. But guys, she's a repeat offender. Multiple times over.

The worst part of all this, I feel, was she lied about it. She lied, blatantly and tried making it sound like she was some innocent little bystander who just accidentally wrote down the same stuff as someone else. She said she had never been to the blogs she plagiarized, and once proof was shown that she spent copious amounts of time on them, she changed her story to "I didn't recognize them at first, but yes, I did read those blogs." I won't link to her apologies, because I don't want to associate with her blog anymore, but they're there.

So, I will no longer read her blog. I unfollowed her on Twitter, Formspring, Facebook, and Goodreads. I don't condone plagiarism, and in my opinion, I don't support her being a blogger anymore. Someone made a good point that if she were a journalist, she would never get another job again. And it's true, because that stuff follows you. This whole thing has really angered me, because, like many people, I looked up to Kristi so much. I loved The Story Siren, and now that's gone. It'll never come back, either, because once my trust is gone, it's gone.

Feel free to post your thoughts below, but be aware, I don't tolerate flaming or bullying, either towards me, Kristi, or any other blogger. Those comments will be deleted. I love talking with others who have opposing views, though, so if you'd like to share your side, please do so! :)

Review: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley @ Whats Your Story?) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 06:00:00 +0000

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
Pages: 485
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Genre: YA Post-Apocalyptic Paranormal
GOODREADS

In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.
Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.
Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die or become one of the monsters.
Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.
Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.
But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

Okay, wow. This book. This book.

If you've read the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa, then you already know what a wonderfully talented writer she is. But, you might look at The Immortal Rules and say to yourself, "Vampires? Oh, they're so over done. I'll just still to the fey."

I'm here to tell you that vampires are not overdone. At least not Kagawa's vampires.

I really don't know how I'm going to explain the love I bear this novel to you guys, but I'll try. From the moment I started reading The Immortal Rules, I wasn't in my world anymore. I swear I was transported to a post apocalyptic world, where a virus has run rampant through the human population, and now the vampires are in control. People live in crumbling cities, and even though the world as we know it has ended, there are still two things that you can't avoid--death, and taxes. Except instead of money, you pay your taxes in blood. If you miss a payment, they'll come and collect.

Okay, is that freaky, or what? I really wasn't expecting a book this powerful, or dark, from Julie! There's no sugar coating anything-- people are dying, being ripped apart by vicious rabid vampires that are basically a science experiment gone wrong. I loved the grittiness of it. There was this layer of darkness spanning the whole novel, because as I was reading, I knew that this wasn't going to be a happily ever after fairy tale ending. And even though I was biting my nails in anticipation and anxiety, I loved that aspect of it.

There was a part in the middle that lagged. It was rapid fire, all action, BAM BAM BAM! And then Allie just fell into a sort of routine for a while. The story was still interesting, because there was this tension building that obviously has to snap at some point. Allie has to blend in with these humans, some that she comes to care for deeply, but she's faced with the dilemma of where to get her next blood fix from. Could she feed from these people that have taken her in so quickly?

I really liked Allie as a main character. She was logical, and made some really difficult decisions. When faced with certain death and given an option, she chose what most everyone would have chosen, which was to rise again as a vampire. But she had grown up hating the vampires her whole life, so it was really interesting to see her grow as a person, dealing with the fact that she was what she hated so much. The concept of drinking blood disgusted her, but what choice did she have? And even though she tried to remain as human as possible, the simple fact of the matter was that she wasn't human anymore, and pretending to be only got her into more trouble.

There are some other really fantastic characters in this novel that I really want to read more about, such as Allie's vampire sire, Kanin. I actually developed a bit of a crush on him! I'm sad that we didn't have much time with him, but I'm certain that he'll make a bigger appearance in the future books. And, how can I possibly forget Zeke? Oh, I loooooved Zeke! Even living in a world where hope is a foolish notion, he holds onto it. When others are thinking only of survival, he's making sure that everyone in his group is taken care of to the best of his ability. I immediately fell for him, and I want him and Allie to be together somehow. The romance wasn't overpowering, and it definitely took a back seat to the story, which I liked because Zeke and Allie didn't let their feelings for each other get in the way of their responsibilities to the others who depended on them.

Another thing I really loved were the vampires. They're really not anything different than your typical Dracula-esque vampire. They have many of the same weaknesses--sunlight, wooden stakes, and fire--but Julie Kagawa did put her own original touch to her vamps. I don't really even know how to describe it, it's something that you'll have to read for yourself.

Overall, I give The Immortal Rules 5 out of 5 stars. This book is awesome! You need to read it!!

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Want to read the book for yourself? Check out the links below!

Buy the Book

Amazon

Hardcover: $11.55

Kindle: $10.19

Book Depository (Free shipping worldwide!)

Hardcover: $14.24

Barnes and Noble

Hardcover: $11.55

Nook: $10.19

Author Interview: Chelsea Cameron

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley @ Whats Your Story?) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Chelsea Cameron
Blog • Twitter • Facebook
Hey, I'm Chelsea, a YA writer from Maine. Lover of things random and ridiculous, Jane Austen/Charlotte and Emily Bronte Fangirl, Red Velvet cake enthusiast, obsessive tea drinker, former cheerleader and world's worst video gamer.I also can't tell my left from my right, hence the name of this blog.

1. What inspires you? Art? Movies? Music? Other books?

Completely random things inspire me. A lot of my book ideas come while I'm driving, almost asleep, or in the shower. The idea for Nocturnal came from an ad for Desperate Housewives, if you can believe that. They showed a hand plucking an apple off a tree. And then I saw Peter, one of the characters in Nocturnal. And that was it.

Songs inspire me a lot after I've started writing, or sometimes when I'm searching for where to go with a story. Taylor Swift, Linkin' Park, Neon Trees, Radiohead, The Civil Wars... I could go on and on. Music is a huge part of my writing. Other books inspire me with envy :)

2. What is your writing process like?

It's nuts. It makes complete sense to me, but probably wouldn't work for anyone else. When it comes to my writing environment, I love noise and chaos. Ideally, I'd have the television on something mindless, like Seinfeld re-runs or infomercials. Then I get Pandora on my iPod and crank it up. I can't have silence, I have to have something to tune out. Which makes no sense, but that's how I operate.

I write my first drafts fast. My record is two weeks, but I'd love to pull a Kiersten White and write a book in nine days, but so far, no dice. After I've finished that, I let it sit for at least two weeks. Then I do what I call a 'nuclear' pass. Killing everything I don't like, putting in more details, fleshing out characters. This takes a while. Then I usually go through at least three drafts before I print it out and read it out loud. I also scramble the pages up and edit that way. Once that's all done, I do one final pass. It's taken me several years to figure this process out and what works for me. I'm always changing and evolving.

3. Which of your characters is your favorite? Why?

Oh dear, that's like picking favorite children. I don't have kids, but my characters feel like my kids. I love Ava, because she's so sarcastic and I'm so comfortable with her voice. We'd be friends if she existed outside of my head. Peter is interesting, because his voice is so different. It's dark and deep and poetic. But I love getting lost in it.

Can I just say they're all my favorite?

4. If you inserted yourself into your novel, describe your character.

Oooo, good question. I'd probably be the one in the back saying, "you probably shouldn't do that." I've always been the cautious one when it comes to doing crazy things. I'd be the funny but boring friend who always has your back.

5. Name two YA characters that you love so much you wish you’d written them yourself.

DAEMON BLACK. DAEMON BLACK. DAEMON BLACK. OMG, I love him so much. For those who don't know, he's the love/hate interest in Jennifer Armentrout's Obsidian. He's a jerk, but a super hot one.

And for the second? Albus Dumbledore.

6. If you could have one super power, what would it be? Why?

The ability to blink and get from place to place. I've always wanted to travel, but just haven't been able to. I'd love to be able to blink and be in the Czech Republic or London or Bali. And if you forgot something, you could just blink yourself home.

7. What’s your biggest goal to achieve in your career as an author?

I would love to make someone feel about my book the way other authors have made me feel. That almost depressed feeling you have when an amazing book is over and you close it. I want people to want to re-read my books because they love them so much. That would be totally worth it :)

8. What is your next project?

I just released the sequel to Nocturnal, Nightmare. Next up is Whisper, a non-ghosty ghost story. It's more of a romance than anything. I'm hoping to have that out at the end of May. I plan to release at least six books this year, so stay tuned!

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Thank you for joining me on my blog today Chelsea! :) It was great interviewing you!